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Community Broadband Media Roundup- November 6

As of last week, San Francisco is the first major city in the United States to commit to connecting each of its homes and businesses to a fiber optic network. The Fiber for San Francisco Initiative has recommended that procurement for a fiber optic network in San Francisco begin “as early as possible.”

Of course if companies like Comcast really wanted to prevent towns and cities from getting into the broadband business, they could provide cheaper, better services. These towns and cities aren't getting into broadband because it's fun, they're doing so because they're so disgusted by duopoly pricing, service quality and abysmal customer service that they're looking for more creative alternatives.

“Municipal broadband is one of those issues where we know the right thing to do and we keep not doing it because of power and money,” Moon added. “The way you combat that is with an irrefutable vision and a broad coalition that’s building that vision together."

Big telecom companies have ignored "overwhelming demand" for privacy protections for consumers for years, Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, told StateScoop in an email.

"Given how many times Verizon, among others, have violated the trust of their customers, it is inevitable that local and state governments will respond to popular demand to reinstate basic protections," Mitchell said. "The big cable and telephone companies have made their bed — now they get to lie in it."

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How can a local city or county government respond to the misinformation barrage? They can’t. Public officials can’t spend taxpayer dollars to promote such projects or refute industry propaganda. They can’t even financially assist a citizen-run campaign.